JUDGMENT

Dr. D.Y. CHANDRACHUD, J

The petitioners – twenty nine of men – have been engaged as porters in the Indian Army as casual labouror daily wage employees in the border areas of Rajouri, Jammu and Poonch. Annexure P-1 to the writ petition, which has been instituted under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, contains photocopies of identity cards issued by the army authorities. The grievance is that the petitioners have not been treated as regular employees and have been denied the benefit of minimum pay-scales despite long years of service in arduous conditions prevalent in a difficult terrain. According to the petitioners, many of them have worked for long years. Details have been furnished of the period over which they have been engaged in the writ proceedings. The relief which they seek is in the following terms :

“(a) ..an appropriate writ in the nature of mandamus or any other writ, direction or order commanding respondents to treat petitioners as regular civilian employees in the Indian Army and extend them all benefits which are being given to the regularly appointed / recruited porters discharging..identical work by treating already rendered services by the petitio